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Had a play earlier tonight, bit crazy. Im too used to staff, the extra dynamics on this thing is freaky!

Anyone else got/made/use one? Got a few ideas on tricks i can get out of it. Mainly just hybrid mashups of poi and staff moves and martial arts stuff i find on youtube. Would love to bump heads with other Sanjiegun'ers and get some really awesome stuff going.

Gotta tweak the joints a bit first though, their not flowing as well as i'd like. Thinkin some kinda ballchain arrangement. Then get some wicks onto this badboy. tomorrow is a fun day

Posted: 27th Oct 2010
I've seen Fire 3 Section Staff done before, its the same as legit 3 section staff as a martial art. Unlike Bo Staff this one transfers beautifully. Props for getting yourself another piece of gear made. Between my eyes and my computer its hard to tell whats in that picture exactly, but it looks like fairly thin all wood construction, right? No Idea what you used as a connector though, but I suppose that's for you to know.

Don't let your world end with you

p.s. No, just in case you're going to ask, I did not misspell Warrior, its supposed to be like that.

Posted: 28th Oct 2010
Made it outa broomsticks, tape and random stuff i could find at a hardware store

The joints are made from picture frame hangers. pretty much a strip of metal doubled over with 3 screw holes down the side. i open up the strip, screws through the end two holes on each side of the sections then meeting in over the end.In that pic it came together with its little ring bit with a key ring ring between em. but it didnt work too well so i trimmed it back with metal cutters, rounded it off, pressed it together a little more and used the third hole of each strip. Then put more keyring rings in it. big ones in the ends and two links of doubled little ones between em. kinda like this;====OooO====works much better.

Been playing alot, so far for moves baring the ordinary staff stuff ive got include;- Stopping the spin out in front to let each section do its own revolution before going back into reg spinning.- grabbing it by the end sections and doing body wraps and jump rope type stuff.- havent worked it out yet, but trying to get some rope dart kinda things in there.there all really messy and dont always work, but its still early days

Posted: 28th Oct 2010
ah, still not 100% sure what you did, but it looks nice. I'm embarking (once I have the startup capitol) on a quest of indulgence to learn to make every type of performance gear known and then invent a few of my own. I'm almost done with my maiden project, a simple fire staff. Up next, meant to be first, are a pair of torch poi for myself. I was probably going to do 3 section staff after getting torch poi down. My current build is just using thick wooden dowels with screw eyes. Right now I don't have any chain, but my aunt is one of the senior employees at a company that does chandeliers, like the gigantic 600+lb ones and told me she could easily get me chain in the size I want, the only thing its is made for those types of things, so it won't be anything you'd find at a hardware store or here on HoP, but its supposed to be able to hold over a thousand pounds, which I might have pretty strong arms, but I don't think I'm gonna go exerting that much force, if by some chance they're weaker than anticipated I'll just modify them myself. Once I've worked with the stuff, and if its any good, I can see about getting you some, if you'd like. I don't intend on selling my gear, just knowing how to do it for my own sake and so I can lend a hand to my friends, its pretty fun.

Don't let your world end with you

p.s. No, just in case you're going to ask, I did not misspell Warrior, its supposed to be like that.

Posted: 29th Oct 2010
Sounds like an awesome mission you got for yourself. I'll admit im somewhat jealous I was going to do screw eyes in the ends, but it didnt feel all that comfortable about the strength of em. seeing as theyre going with the grain of the wood. if you pre-drilled the holes then wrapped the ends with wire or something to give it the reinforcement thatd work. i dont have a drill on hand so i went with this idea.

Posted: 29th Oct 2010
Ah, yeah you really need to drill the holes first. A pal of mine just drilled holes in 1 1/4" wooden dowels and put the screw eyes so that it was as tight as possible and that tightness made the eye just rest on the base of the dowel. He uses them pretty roughly and they've lasted him a long time without showing any signs of stopping, this is including all the torch poi unique moves that require you to hit them. Still, you made it work, so that's awesome.

Don't let your world end with you

p.s. No, just in case you're going to ask, I did not misspell Warrior, its supposed to be like that.

Posted: 2nd Nov 2010
Ah, I posted a thread into another section which turns out was not such a great idea but I'll ask here as well:

I have seen very short three section staffs (HoP's 58"/148cm) to very long (traditional wushu 90"/228.6cm). I'm wondering if there's a "standard length" amongst spinners, because at the moment I'm kind-of just clicking my flowtoys stuff together at random.

If anyone else here has a three section staff and/or is experienced with with them, how long is a COMMON three section staff and how long is the one you use?

Posted: 2nd Nov 2010
Ah, I should point out that I saw that post, Tide. I'dve responded but my internet wasn't playing nice. Its the weirdest thing, sometimes I'll get told "Invalid URL" for every page on a website I've been on for a bit already. I guess that's the penalty for using an unsecured network.

But I digress. I don't know any 3SS personally, in fact I don't know anyone who calls it 3SS either, but I would assume that like everything else in the performance world its a matter of personal preference. I'm making a staff right now for a friend of mine that all the staffers in my area say is far too small to use, but she's a tiny little thing and its perfect for her. If you can get one to mess around with a bit in person then judge from there that'd probably be the best way to go. Even better yet if you could find someone who teaches traditional wushu and weapons and ask them.

Don't let your world end with you

p.s. No, just in case you're going to ask, I did not misspell Warrior, its supposed to be like that.

MynciBRONZE MemberMacaque of all trades8,738 postsLocation: wombling free..., United Kingdom

Posted: 2nd Nov 2010
tiny staff = baton (semantics really)

I've often taught basic staff to kids and small girls using a flower stick. does the same job but is easier for them to handle and less dangerous for those nearby as they swing them around.

I imagine it's similar with any prop, small or big balls is ballslong or short strings, it's still poi. I admit this isn't really my territory I prefer my staffs not to bend but imagine size isn't important.

A couple of balls short of a full cascade... or maybe a few cards short of a deck... we'll see how this all fans out.

Posted: 2nd Nov 2010
@Warior DrakeAh, well. I have lots of the Flowlight modular system tubes to mess around with so I guess I can experiment until I find an optimal length. I wish I COULD find someone who did practice in wushu but they're not the easiest group to find. But yeah, until then I guess I'll have to mess with the Flowstuff that I have.

@MynciI think I can see what you mean, it all breaks down to the spinner's taste and preference with what they want to spin.

Posted: 10th Sep 2011
I'm now going to make a three sectional staff from the Flow light modular system.

Consider placing swivels on your San Jie Gun, it'll help in the end. Also using eye-bolts and screwing them into the end will help with strength, balance, and consistent turns.

I've used a 3-section staff on and off for 7 yrs. But more as a combat tool than a flowtoy. In martial arts you mainly hold the two ends and use the mid section to block, compared to that of a spinner that tends to hold the center and use the flexibility of the ends for visual effect.

'Standard' length that I keep seeing is 6' 8" It's made of 3, 2 foot pieces and 2, 4 inch chains. 4 of mine are this length, 1 is shorter for tournaments that ban weapons of a certain length, and 2 are longer to help get used to flailing staff and horse bench.

Wushu practitioners are like poi spinners, rare at first, but once you find one, you find a lot. Check out Wushu Central for some amazing videos. If their still up. It's funny that most Wushu artist end up as Flow artist. Cheri and Jen Haight were international Wushu competitors and are now mainly fabric aerialists.

Posted: 13th Oct 2011
I built mine with 5/16th oak dowels, eye screws, quick links, and brass swivels, and short pieces of Al conduit under the wicks. The brass swivels work as middle links and don't swivel much in use, haven't decided how long I'll keep them, I'd really like to get a welded 5 ring set done soon. I like the weight of the oak, weight means it's easier to keep spinning straight, you learn not to get hit pretty fast. If not, go play with a rope dart for a bit. I've been decorating mine with a wood burner, you can do some neat stuff with a good kit. I'm pretty tall and got wide shoulders, so I make my inner staff the longest, it's big enough so I can swing both outers forward together, the outers are a few inches shorter, total length is around 7 foot.

Show opening I've been working on for 3-section. Go out with soaking wet wicks, hold them together in front of you and trace out an arc on the ground, light one wick, the fire will travel around to the other. Pick up both hands on the center and twirl them forwards so as to leave two parallel tracks of fire on the ground, the pull your hands to the outer sections, pull the wicks together in front of your mouth, and release the mouth full of lamp oil you've had since off stage! Of course assuming you're dumb enough to be fire breathing, surrounded by flames, and all that stupid. But you have to admit there's really not many cooler ways to start off a show.

I ordered a practice 3sec and it had swivel connectors, did not like those at all. Swing it around and come to a stop, solid connectors will come to a stand still in 3-4 extra swings, the swivel connectors take 8-11 passes before you are back in control. YES they can do some awesome burn offs, but they don't bounce off the body right and can get messy with close in work. I wholeheartedly suggest you avoid them and stick to a well epoxied eye bolt in oak.

The fire three section is cool, but I really can't wait to get an LED one finished up. You loose SO much not being able to grab the ends of it, none of the awesome spirals, hammer strikes, whips, and a far more limited exchange area. LED Three Section is going to be the best.